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Tu gloria, tu gloria

La gritería ("the shout") is a Nicaraguan festival which originated in the early 18th century, held in honor of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, also nicknamed the Purísima. It is celebrated on the night of December 7th, the eve of the Catholic feast day for the Immaculate Conception. These celebrations are some of the largest in the country and are celebrated in its various towns and cities. They hold special significance in the city of León, where they originated.

Devotees walk the streets and visit different altars erected in honor of the Virgin Mary in churches and private homes, offering prayers, singing, and setting off fireworks while shouting the pregón "¿Quién causa tanta alegría?" ("Who causes so much joy?") and responding "¡La Concepción de María!" ("The Conception of Mary!"). The inhabitants of the houses welcome the devotees with a toast, popularly called la gorra (the cap), of candy and other small gifts.

Here, Fieldwork Archivist Claudio Alexander Urbina records a group of León residents caroling "Tu gloria, tu gloria" and shouting various pregones at the entrance of a private home in the San Felipe neighborhood of León.

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